


The Requiem of Dr. Junkenstein

by KitKatWitch



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Jamie trying to fix his shit, Junkenstein, Junkenstein verse, Magic, Mei is an intern, Meihem - Freeform, Monsters, Post Junkenstein's Revenge, Romance, Science, Slow Burn, all the chapter titles are halloween/ish songs, will add more as we go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-01-21 23:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12468484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitKatWitch/pseuds/KitKatWitch
Summary: Aldersbrunn is healing. The king and the doctor have repaired their relationship, and life continues on. However, the Doctor needs assistance, and since no one in town will be caught dead near his tower, the King must search elsewhere. Far elsewhere.He brings in a foreign scientist by the name of Mei-Ling Zhou. She was hired to help organize Junkenstein's notes. But will she be able to help him redeem himself in the eyes of others?





	1. There's A Light (Over At The Junkenstein Tower)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [trash_unlimited](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trash_unlimited/gifts).



> Inspired by the oneshot by trash_unlimited  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/8535994/chapters/20038588

_Chhhsk_!

A glass beaker shattered against the ground, but the King did not flinch. It had been a year since he and Dr. Junkenstein had reconciled their differences; the King realized that he had been abusing the good Doctor’s talents, and Jamison realized….well, he realized he might have gone a bit overboard. And while the rest of Aldersbrunn may not have accepted him back, Reinhardt was a just king, and had made an extravagant effort to spend more time with the doctor and repair the mess that he had helped create.

 _Speaking of creations…_ Reinhardt’s eyes drifted to the corner, over Junkenstein throwing a tantrum with barely a glance. In the year they had become almost _friends_ , the king had seen more than his fair share of the doctor’s mental breaks. This was a smaller one, and Reinhardt knew that it would not last much longer. His weathered gaze landed on the object of his search: Junkenstein’s monster.

The creature had left the town after a bit of a rampage, and it was soon after that Jamison and Reinhardt had resolved to fix what they had broken. It was a little more than a month later that the king was coming over for the doctor’s newest creation, but instead he walked in on the monster and the doctor…having tea.

_"Wot? He won’t hurt no body anymore. Says its all outta his system, yknow?"_

_"Jun-…Jamison. Are you sure?"_

_"Of_ course _I’m sure! ‘ave I ever been wrong before? Don’t answer that. Hog here won’t hurt a fly."_

The monster grunted in response, seeming to like his name.

King Reinhardt sighed as another unidentified scientific object whistled past his head, turning his grey eyes towards the mad doctor. Jamison was gripping his prematurely whitened hair, grinding his teeth together and glancing down at a disarray of messy notes.

"Was there a…reason, that you called me, Doctor?" he asked blandly, hands clasped behind his back as he waited for the reason he had to leave his family at this obscure hour. He had passed more than one creeping creature in the woods, and he wasn’t quite looking forward to his return journey. The sooner this was resolved, the sooner he can be off to his castle again.

The doctor’s eyes snapped up to the king, wild and wide and covered in something that Reinhardt would rather not think of what it could be. After a few moments, Jamison regained his composure and straightened his posture, leaning on his good leg. He used to have a better peg leg on the right side, but after his aborted revenge attempt, he hadn’t had the time or heart to bother remaking it.

"Yes, well," he began, clearing his throat and trying to look professional as well, mirroring the kings pose. This made the king roll his eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "As you can see, my laboratory and consequently the rest of my tower has become a bit…disorganized." Frankenhog snorted in the corner, causing Jamison to turn a scowl in his direction before continuing. "I need another set of hands to help me out around here." The king blinked, perplexed.

"What about him?" he asked innocently, pointing at the creature watching them from the other side of the room, arms crossed and eyes narrowed…he thinks. Jamison let out a cackle, and then cut it off flatly.

"I need someone who knows what they’re _doing_ ," he sneered, quickly waving a _no offense_ gesture at the creature. He didn’t seem phased. "Someone smart, scientifically. Of course you’ll never find anyone as smart as me, but they don’t ‘ave to be. Just enough to understand my work and keep it _organized_ , yknow?"

Jamison smiled, too widely, and the king felt a chill run up his spine, clearing his throat before saying, "Ah, I am not sure how I will find…I mean, certainly you are aware that no one in Aldersbrunn…" _Will be within a thousand feet of you_ , he finished mentally, hoping it wouldn’t have to be said aloud.

"…is nearly smart enough to work with me, I know _that_ much," he said with a wave of his hand, walking over towards Frankenhog, who the king just realized had a crumpled piece of paper in his large hands. The doctor took it from him with a smaller, more honest smile, and hobbled back over towards the king. Leaning in excitedly, he unfurled the paper, shoving it up to brush the king’s beard.

"Here!" He said triumphantly, as if it made all things clear. The King squinted, moving his head back a little and trying to make the strange symbols make sense. But even at a distance, he realized it was a language he didn’t know how to translate. _Chinese?_ But there was a picture of a bunch of scientists, mostly males with one lone female, and the king had a sinking feeling he knew where this was going.

Frustrated by his silence, Junkenstein growled and threw down the paper onto the table, picking up a small scalpel he had lying around. "Get me a _scientist_ , Reinhardt," Jamison said slowly, flipping the scalpel over in his fingers with a level of skill that the king almost forgot he possessed. After all, the man may have been mad, but he was still _incredibly_ brilliant. "Get me one, before I decide that living here is a bit…. _uncomfortable_."

The mad doctor spiked the scalpel down suddenly, smiling and cackling as it impaled the picture, straight through the smiling face of the girl.

* * *

 

Mei-Ling Zhou sat in her apartment, staring morosely at the boxes piled up around her. The professors at her school had come to her raving of a marvelous opportunity to aide a brilliant scientist as his intern in Germany, but she knew it was mostly a lie. They and the rest of the boys in her class had been trying to get her out of their school since the moment she got in, ranked number one. This was just an all too convenient excuse for her to finally leave.

Sighing softly, she took one last walk around the area. Most of her things would go into storage, until a time she decided where she wanted to go next. Other things, like all the materials from her personal laboratory, would go to the school. All she would bring was a box she could carry in her two hands, and another large sack carried by her pet bot Snowball.

The little omnic popped up next to her then, chirping and snuggling against her face until she smiled. Snowball was actually the reason she was noticed by the school, making the little one as an assistant and, though she didn’t realize it at the time, as a friend. Then she blew them away in testing and knowledge, and before long she was enjoying a full ride. Now, however, the memory left a bitter taste in her mouth. More than four years here spent learning, and just as long spent alone. It was almost a freeing feeling knowing that she was going somewhere entirely new, somewhere that maybe people would like her.

But she shouldn’t keep her hopes up. She didn’t know much about this scientist she was supposed to be studying under, but she did know that most scientists worked alone. For him to need an intern, and to request one from so _very_ far away, meant that he probably didn’t have a whole lot of people around him, either.

 _Well,_ Mei thought to herself sarcastically, _maybe we can be alone together._ She laughed then, but the noise was hollow, and it caused Snowball to move closer to her again. Sighing, she brought the little robot close and leaned her forehead against the cold metal. "At least I have you," she murmured, causing the creature to make a happy noise in response.

Straightening up, she glanced around the apartment one last time, shouldering her satchel full of science and tying the large sack to Snowball’s back hook. Lifting the box into her arms, she kicked the door open, and walked out without looking back.

The road driven by the cab to the ship port was long and winding, and it gave her plenty of time to think. She didn’t want to think about the school, and she certainly didn’t want to think about where she was going. She thought about her family, and how much she was going to miss them, but ultimately, she began to think about science. It always came back to science.

Recently she had been working on a climate control device. It wouldn’t work on a whole city, but she was attempting to have it work in a smaller area before increasing the size. It would be incredible to have a wintery snow day in the middle of summer, or a nice rain if there’s been a drought. Before she knew it, she had half the plans sketched out in her mind, and the cab pulled up to the seaside.

It wasn’t difficult for her to check in her bag and box, keeping her satchel close with Snowball nestled inside. She didn’t know how people would react to a woman scientist so far from home, and she would rather not have anyone try to assault her or steal her tech. Her hand patted the little bag on her right hip, confirming the small endothermic blaster was still tucked inside. She hoped she wouldn’t have to use it, but better safe than sorry.

She found her bunk without much difficulty, climbing up into it and pulling the curtain closed and securing the corners with the small clasps attached. It wouldn’t keep anyone out if they wanted to come in, but she appreciated the small sense of privacy. Tucking her satchel into the cubby hole, she yawned and spread out in the tiny space. It would be a very long ride, and she wanted to be rested up in case she was put right to work. Setting Snowball to defense mode and plugging it into a charger on the wall, she snuggled into the pillow and drifted off to sleep.

Snowball’s chirping woke her up hours later, and she blinked, reaching around blindly to put her glasses on and get herself set up. The little omnic helped her gather her things, and she ran up to the top deck. It was still early, and they weren’t quite there just yet, but if she peered off the side and squinted just a little bit, she could see the dark expanse of their landing place. Mei did a little hop in place out of excitement, lifting her bag for Snowball to look out as well.

"We’re almost there, Snowball," she said softly, hugging her bag close. Even though the circumstances of her leaving weren’t entirely up to her, she couldn’t suppress a shiver of anticipation. This was new and exciting, and she could make first impressions all over again. Not even the heavy grey cloud cover could dampen her mood.

A little while later and she was disembarking, hefting her bag in her arms and tying the larger sack back to her companion. She found the cab lot, glancing around for a sign that would take her to her new home. Glancing at the small paper, she frowned, not seeing the same name reflected anywhere around her. Going up to an associate, she tugged on her sleeve, showing them the name of the town. The man’s face fell, and with a frown he pointed across the lot. She turned expectantly, but felt herself shrink at what she saw.

At the far end of a lot was a broken sign that read _Aldersbrunn_ , and under it a lone dark cab with a bored driver leaning against the hub. It wasn’t like the other spaces, where people were lining up and waiting for cabs to return. It looks like this cab hasn’t even been used in a long time. Swallowing the lump that formed in her throat, she walked across the lot with an air of confidence she didn’t really feel.

"Um, excuse me," Mei started, trying to get the attention of the shorter man in front of her. He looked up from under his hat, a scowl seen through his thick golden beard. "I h-have to get to Aldersbrunn, can you…can you take me?" The man peered at her, narrowing his eyes and glancing around before leaning in conspiratorially. Mei leaned forward too, a small frown on her face.

"Why are ye going there, lass?" the man asked, voice low and sounding almost concerned. "Do ye know what kind o’ place that there village is?" Mei shook her head, taking a step back when the man made a _harrumph_ noise, and she was startled to see that one of his hands was replaced by a strange clamp.

"Don’t even know what happened up there," he mumbled to himself, before shaking his head and extending the clamp. "Well, might be better to learn fer y’self. Call me Torbjorn, or Torb fer short." Mei gently took the strange contraption and shook it, giving him a weak smile.

"Thank you, I’m Mei-Ling Zhou," she replied, holding her box a little closer to keep it from slipping. Torbjorn noticed her grip failing and quickly slammed his clamp down on the car, causing Mei to jump and the trunk to pop open. He lifted the box from her arms with his good hand, and loaded it up. Snowball followed and the man helped put the bag in, side eyeing the creature but not making a comment.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Mei said again, hopping a little. It was a habit she inherited from her grandparents. Torbjorn nodded and got in the drivers seat, kicking across the row to open the side door for her. She sat inside and buckled up, glancing back at the boat and settling Snowball in her lap. Hopefully the drive wasn’t too far.

The vehicle started up and immediately turned into a dense forest, blocking out the weak light that already had trouble filtering through the clouds. Mei pulled Snowball closer to herself, glancing out at the trees whizzing by. After she thought she saw something move just a few more times than she was comfortable with, she decided to focus on Snowball’s screen instead.

"So," Torbjorn began, steering the little car expertly and keeping his attention forward. "What’s a little girl like you doing out here?" Mei glanced at him, then back down.

"I was recruited by the King as an intern for a local scientist," she said as vaguely as she could, rubbing at a small scuff mark on Snowball’s head. She felt the air get thick and Torbjorn’s driving slowed, and she kept her attention trained down. She didn’t want to see if he was looking at her.

"A scientist, eh?" he said, his voice low and distrusting. "Which one?" Mei felt like there was only one answer to this question, and they both knew as much. She debated for a moment if she would be able to find her way if he kicks her out or changes his mind, but she thought this man was kind enough to at least get her somewhere safe to continue the journey on her own.

"Dr. Jamison Junkenstein."

Torbjorn hit the breaks, and Mei flailed to hold on to Snowball. " _Damn it_ ," he exclaimed, turning to face her, face a mix of terror and concern. "Why are ye goin to work for that crazy maniac?!" Mei worried that they should at least pull off the road, but she had a feeling not many other people would be driving it tonight.

"I was hired by the King," she repeated, though _hired_ probably wasn’t the correct term to use. "He told me the professor was in need of an assistant to help him organize his laboratory." She frowned as she was interrupted by a bark of sarcastic laughter.

"Professor?" he echoed, laughing harder before cutting off abruptly. "Listen, lass, this mad doctor is no professor. He uses his science for _dark_ purposes." The girl swallowed, hugging her companion closer to her chest.

"Dark?" she asked nervously, glancing out at the woods and hoping whatever she had seen earlier wasn’t anywhere near them. "W-what do you mean, d-dark?" Torbjorn looked at her with his eyes narrowed, a haunted look in them.

"Tales say he created an army of zombie robots to extract his revenge on the King," he began, glancing around as if someone could overhear. "If it weren’t for these four heroes the King called, he would’ve killed em all. Heard he made one other creature that wasn’t a robot at all. Heard he made a _monster_. Lass, you should run for the hills while you still can. I don’t right know what the King could be doing with the mad doctor, but if you value your life, you should turn around right now."

Mei blinked a few times, her heart sinking to the bottom of her stomach. Then she steeled herself, squaring her shoulders and taking advantage of her few inches of height above the driver. "Thank you for your kind warning, Torbjorn. However, I am a woman of science, and I will not be deterred by tales and rumors. Until I see for myself just what is going on, I will not flee, I will not hide, and I will _not_ back down."

Torbjorn gave her a long look before sighing, shaking his head and starting up the car again. "Yer a brave lass," he murmured, and the two of them lapsed into silence for the rest of the ride.

It was a bit of time later when they approached a large gate, situated outside what she could only assume is Aldersbrunn. Before she could ask where to go, Torbjorn stated, "Now, this here is as far as I’m willing to go. The doctor’s tower is about half a mile that-a-way." He pointed to the side of the town, where there was a withered path that lead through the woods. She could see far on the other side the top of a tower, and a single light shining like a beacon in the darkness.

Unpacking her things, she thanked him one more time before turning towards the woods. "Just you and me again, Snowball," she said softly, the little omnic snuggling up next to her as she tied on her sack. "Make sure to stay close."

Thankfully, the walk through the woods hadn’t taken nearly as long as the previous drive, and even more luckily, nothing strange happened while she walked through. There were noises, and she was sure she felt breath on the back of her neck at one point, but that was all. When she emerged from the dark trees, she sighed in relief, staring up at the tower looming above her.

It was tall and thin, and definitely crooked, and yet it seemed like it had no trouble standing all on its lonesome. There were extra rooms around the base of the tower, but besides that there were only other floors in the tower itself. And, as she had noticed before her trek began, there was a warm light coming out of the very top, as if a fireplace or candle was burning.

 _Maybe he won’t be so bad,_ she thought to herself, shifting her box in her arms as she moved towards the door. Not seeing a doorbell or a knocker of any kind, she kicked the door a few times, hearing the dull thud echo through the tower. After a few moments of a nerve inducing silence, she heard a strange stepping noise coming towards the door. _Step thud. Step thud. Step thud._ Snowball made a small noise and moved behind her, and Mei wished she could do the same. Suddenly the door opened, and standing in front of her was Doctor Jamison Junkenstein himself.

The man, similar to his tower, was tall and thin, and a bit crooked as well, though not as much as the tower. His white hair stuck out in all directions, and some of it definitely looked singed. His eyes peered out at her through his goggles, and she could tell from the face she could see that he was not as old as his hair indicated. His body was covered in a doctor’s suit and gloves, all except his one leg – or, lack thereof. All that was there was a stubby wooden peg, scratched and scarred and looking ready to splinter.

"Whatta y’want?" the man growled, eyes narrowing through blue lenses. Mei blinked, having to look slightly up at him, though she was sure it would be more if he wasn’t hunched over.

"I’m M-m-Mei-Ling Zhou," she began, suddenly remembering the paper in her satchel. "I’m a scientist from Xi'an, China. I was called here by King Rienhardt Wilhelm to-" The doctor jumped up, a wild grin stretching across his face, and cut her off.

" _Ah!_ Old Whinehardt actually found me someone, eh?" he jeered, lifting up his goggles to reveal golden eyes beneath. None too politely he began looking her up and down, nodding as if he was pleased with what he saw. Though she could have been reading that wrong, since he continued, "You ain’t much, but you’ll do. Better than ol Hog does anyway. Y’can just-" he cut off, seeing Snowball over her shoulder, who had just mustered up enough courage to make itself seen.

"Wot the bloody hell is that." He asked flatly, jabbing a rubber gloved finger towards her little friend. Snowball shied backwards, hiding behind her again, and Mei felt some of her nerves melt away.

"That’s Snowball, my assistant," she stated clearly. She was going to continue but Junkenstein cut her off.

"No, no, _no_ ," he cried, stomping forward and attempting to swat at the thing. "No bloody _bots_ that I don’t make are gonna be stayin in my here castle. Take it apart." Mei gasped, grabbing her friend and pulling it close to her.

"Excuse me?" she asked, turning a cold gaze on him. "This is _my_ companion and _my_ omnic, and _my_ assistant. I made it myself, and it’s been with me much longer than I’ve been with _you_. So if you aren’t going to let Snowball in, then _you_ will just have to find another intern."

Junkenstein started at her, mouth slightly agape, and Mei felt like no one had ever really spoken to him that way before. Still, she held herself up and didn’t look away, because this was one thing that she refused to budge on. She would rather live in the woods than give up on her only friend. Junkenstein looked like he was about to say something, closed his mouth, opened it again, and then shook his head.

" _Bah!_ Fine, see if I care," he growled, waving his hands and turning around. Mei thought for a moment that he was dismissing her, as if this really was the breaking point already, when he turned his head and jerked it inside the castle. "Y’comin, Snowflake?"

Mei nodded, coming inside with Snowball close behind. She could feel the heavy doors slam shut behind her, and she wondered when the next time she would be outside of them would come. As she followed the doctor through twisting corridors with rooms on each side, she had a shiver run across her spine, and wondered for a moment if someone could be watching them.

Junkenstein turned a corner and began descending a set of stairs, spiraling into the ground, and Mei could only guess at how deep. They reached the bottom and Junkenstein flipped a switch, illuminating his laboratory with light. Mei’s box fell from her hands, landing less than gently on the hard ground below. A gasp passed her lips as she looked around at the incredible space around her.

The lab was gigantic, and she supposed since it was underground it could stretch on and on beyond what she could see. There were tables everywhere, different halls to different rooms, things all over the walls with no rhyme or reason. It was chaotic and _beautiful_ and she desperately wanted to organize everything before it got lost, because she could almost feel the scientific discoveries hiding within. Snowball hovered by, humming happily at it’s creator’s joy.

"Oh, this is… _amazing_ ," she breathed, cupping her cheeks in her hands and jumping happily in place. Junkenstein looked confused, watching her as if _she_ were the crazy one. "Oh, there’s just so many things here, and so much room! You could do almost anything here!" The doctor rubbed the back of his neck as she continued, then hobbled his way over to a plain looking door.

"Yea yea," he muttered, seemingly flustered by the adoration in her eyes, even if it wasn’t directed at himself. "Yer room is right in ‘ere," he said, kicking open the door with his bum leg. The door creaked loudly and dust spilled out, but Mei eagerly moved forward to see inside.

It wasn’t as bad as she had thought. Sure, it was dusty from misuse: it seemed like he had cleared out whatever it was used for in a hurry, and set up a ramshackle room. There was a sink and toilet in one corner, with a little wall separating it from a simple dresser and single bed. There were some threadbare blankets and a pillow, and she even had a small window at the top that could probably bring in some light, if the sun ever came out. Taking a step in, she sneezed, and Snowball chirped a _bless you_.

"Gesundheit," the doctor replied, hands behind his back as he stepped out of the room. She turned to follow him, but he put out a hand, leaving her confused.

"Nah, y’can stay here fer now," he instructed, reaching over to a table and handing her some rags tied together in such a way that they could probably be considered to resemble a feather duster. "Clean up an’ get settled. Y’can come up fer breakfast an’ then I’ll show you wot you’ll be doin’." Mei nodded, watching as Snowball pushed in the box she had dropped. The doctor turned and began walking towards the staircase, and Mei called out after him, "Thank you, professor!"

Junkenstein halted at the name, turning his head towards her, before muttering and shaking it off. She smiled at his retreating form, going back into her new room and shutting the door behind her. There was a small lamp on the wall without a lightshade, and she flicked it on, taking a look around her tiny abode.

Definitely not what she had before, but not nearly as bad as it could have been. She quickly dusted off as much as she could, cleaned out the dresser, and put away her things before getting ready for bed. Despite sleeping on the boat, she found herself exhausted from the trip, and was looking forward to what the next day might bring. Gathering her toiletries, she went over to the sink, peering at her jagged reflection in the broken mirror above.

"Hm…" she thought to herself, tilting her head until she found enough of an unbroken piece to see her reflection. Her face was tired, but there was a glow of excitement. Though that could have been whatever was splattered on the mirror. After she was all ready and in her favorite pajamas, she pulled a soft bundle delicately out of the bottom of the sack that had held her clothing. Unfurling the blanket, she laid it on the bed and smiled.

It was handmade, a dual effort from her mother and grandmother. It was a soft powder blue with purple accents, and glittering snowflakes scattered across the expanse. Embroidered in the corner is a small peach symbol, which she knew was her Grandmother’s favorite fruit, and some curling writing that states _所以你永_ _远不会忘记你是谁._

"So that you’ll never forget who you are," Mei read, a tear escaping down her cheek before she could stop it. Rubbing it off before it made itself known, she lifted the blanket and snuggled under it, breathing in the warm scent of home. Snowball settled into it’s charging port that she had placed right on the bed next to her, and it made a soft noise before going into sleep mode.

"Goodnight, Snowball," she said, kissing the robot’s head gently before laying back down. "Tomorrow we begin our new journey." Sighing, she looked up at the ceiling, wondering just what kind of mystical and strange things would greet her in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyy I managed to get the first chapter up before the event ends yay!! 
> 
> Story title is still flexible, if anyone has any suggestions. Questions, comments, requests, let me know! I hope you like it ^.^


	2. People are Strange

Mei would like to say she had a nice night sleep. She would like to say she fell asleep dreaming of all the scientific marvels awaiting her in the laboratory the next room over. That she woke up to a soft light coming in the room, Snowball humming peacefully in sleep mode by her side. That she woke up fully rested, ready for whatever the day was going to throw at her.

Unfortunately, none of those things were true. She tossed and turned in the uncomfortable bed all night, loud noises from the rooms above startling her the moment she began to drift. She considered going out and exploring the laboratory instead of sleep, since she did sleep on the ship, but the occasional shrieks and other sounds from the doctor kept her in her room. That, and the low lumbering steps of someone that was definitely _not_ the doctor.

And there was no soft light waking her up, no gentle hum of her companion. Instead, what woke her up was…

_Crash!_ " _Scheisse_!" _Beeeeeeeeeeep!_

Followed by a few more crashes and maybe the sound of splintering wood. Though that might have been the noise of Mei’s head colliding with the old bed frame as she jumped up, cursing up a storm as she struggled to pull on something resembling an acceptable outfit for an intern to wear. Snowball woke up and chirped in concern, but Mei shook her head and mumbled something around her hair pin, which was currently in her mouth as she tied back her hair.

Once dressed, she quickly ran up the stairs, trying not to trip, and covering her ears with her hands to try to drown out the blare of the alarm, which had yet to stop. Glancing around, she attempted to determine where the noise was coming from, but luckily (or not so) there was dark smoke billowing from down the hall. She took off swiftly in that direction, shouldering open a door and coughing as the smoke began to clear.

When her eyes finally stopped watering, she opened them, followed by a few blinks of disbelief. Dr. Junkenstein was in the kitchen, near what she assumed to be the stove, but she couldn’t tell past all the globs of pasty white goop mixed with burned bits that had splattered all over. The doctor was muttering to himself, and the alarm was still sounding from its place on the ceiling. Oh, and there was fire. Coming from the stove and somehow the doctor’s hair.

Snowball finally caught up, and it beeped in surprise. Mei shook her head, snapping herself out of her shock, and leapt into action. With two hops, she moved from a chair onto the old wooden table, and tapped the alarm once to silence it. Jumping back down and skipping the chair, she commanded, "Snowball, freeze!" and set the little omnic to work. The bot moved over the fire and blew out a soft snowy mixture of wind and wet, and easily extinguished the fire on the stove. It also moved above Jamison’s head, covering him with a soft layer of snow before coming over to Mei.

Jamison had straightened back up by now, and was brushing the snow from his burnt hair. The adrenaline wearing off, Mei moved towards him and frowned. "What were you trying to do?" she asked, glancing around at the mess. This seemed an impractical place for science when they had the full laboratory downstairs.

Junkenstein shook his head, taking off his goggles and fixing his golden stare on the girl. She was surprised to see the snow had fallen on his cheeks, and were mixed in with a spattering of freckles. A growl snapped her out of that, and before Junkenstein could respond, there was a crash on the other side of the room as a huge monster slammed the door in.

Mei screamed, backing up against the wall and feeling the sticky goo seep into her clothes. She hadn’t put her blaster on her hip before coming up, and Snowball needed more time to recharge before they would be able to help. She only had a few moments to think of a plan, or hope the doctor would come up with something, before the creature was upon them.

But before she could move, Jamison had gone towards the monster first, and he didn’t seem the least bit scared. "Oh, _now_ you show up, you _useless hog!_ " The doctor smacked the creature on the arm, but it didn’t seem to do anything. "You _know_ I can’t cook t’ save my life!" The words of the kind cabdriver came back to her mind, and some puzzle pieces began falling into place. _The monster he made…_ She knew she should still be scared, but part of her was so intrigued that he managed to make _life_.

Then she realized what he said. "You…were trying to cook?" she asked incredulously, looking around the mess of the kitchen. Junkenstein whirled around as if he had forgotten she was there, and the creature just stared as she moved to the wall and put a finger through the goop. With the neverending curiosity of a scientist, she popped her finger in her mouth. After a moment she blinked down at it, then turned back to him.

"Oatmeal?" she asked, just as incredulously. She had never seen anyone make such a disaster of oatmeal, and with so much fire. The creature just breathed and stared, but it seemed Jamison was at least slightly abashed.

"Well, I dunno how to make much else," he grumbled. "Hog ‘ere is the one who can cook, don’t bloody ask me how. ‘E was nowhere to be found this morning an we don’t got anything else I could figure out." Hog grunted in response and Jamison made a noise of dissent, crossing his arms and pouting like a child. Mei shook her head, stepping around the globs of oatmeal on the floor and opening up some cabinets in search of…well, anything.

Unfortunately, all the cabinets were as bare as her room had been, and even in the fridge there were only some jars that she could not be paid enough to open. "How have you been surviving out here alone?" she wondered aloud, more to herself than anyone, but the doctor felt inclined to respond.

"Dun eat much," he grit out, leaning one arm on the table. Mei was surprised to hear a soft clink as it connected with the wood, and she resolved to inspect the table later. "Hog sometimes brings back meat, and I usually ‘ave bread around... Y’came at a bad time," he ended, trailing off with his poor explanation.

Mei sighed, tapping Snowball’s head briefly before finding a closet with a broom and mop. "All right, all right," she said patiently, as Snowball zoomed towards her with a bottle of cleaner. "I’ll clean up in here, and then meet you down in the laboratory. I am not very hungry now, anyway. Maybe later we can go to the market?" Jamison stared at her blankly, unsure how to respond, but Mei hadn’t really been expecting a response anyway.

She began to clean, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the creature put its massive hands around the doctor’s small frame and steer him out of the kitchen. She could hear Jamison talking to the monster, or to himself, as his voice faded down the hallway. She giggled and continued to clean up, tasting the oatmeal occasionally.

Really, it wasn’t so bad.

* * *

 

Once the kitchen was clean (probably cleaner than it had been before the disaster occurred), Mei and Snowball returned downstairs just in time to see Junkenstein flying into one of his rages. One glove was pulling at his hair, and his other hand swept across tables, sending papers fluttering to the ground and beakers shattering into the wall. Mei swallowed, tempted to bolt to her room and lock the door, but after a minute of gathering her courage, she tried approaching him from behind.

"What-" she began, but her voice startled the doctor, who whirled around with a scalpel in his hand and pinned her to the nearest wall. His right arm was across the top of her chest, and she could feel how cold it was through the glove. But she barely registered that as the scalpel blade was pressed up against her neck, and her breath held in her throat. The doctor was staring at her, wild eyed and unfocused and breathing heavily. After a moment, he seemed to calm down a bit, and his pupils shrank to normal size. He stepped back, glancing at the scalpel in his hand; he yelped and dropped it suddenly as if he hadn’t known what he was doing. Shaking his head and refusing to look at Mei, he moved back to his table.

Once her heart had stopped hammering, Mei picked up the felled scalpel and moved around the table, making sure the doctor could see her before she said anything else. The monster was there, in a far corner of the room, sitting at a desk with his back to them. She didn’t know what he was doing, but didn’t particularly want to find out. Yet. Placing the scalpel down gently, she knelt and picked up a scrap of paper that had a few words crossed out and a diagram of some sort.

"What are you looking for?" She asked softly, trying to get his attention without scaring him again. Junkenstein’s head snapped up, and she frowned internally. _How long is it going to take him to remember I live here now?_ The doctor returned his attention to the desk, eyes roving over the mess of paper and broken glass.

"Propulsion design," he muttered, scratching at his head under the goggles. "Need it for the vehicle I’m designing for the King." Without explaining further, he moved to another table, searching through the papers much more gently. Mei blew a puff of hair out of her face, placing the paper back down and glancing over them.

_These are such a mess,_ she thought with a frown, glancing up and letting her eyes wander around the laboratory. There were a few empty bookshelves on one side, but besides the small door to her room, there weren’t any offshoots aside from the hallways. Without any further instruction from the doctor as of yet, she decided to explore and familiarize herself with the laboratory.

With a spring in her step, she started off down the west hallway, Snowball following dutifully behind. There were doors on each side, staggered different distances away, and small plaques next to them to say what they contained. Unfortunately, all the signs had faded away, and she was unable to tell what they were unless she pulled open the door. Her hand hesitated on the handle of one large dark oak door, but she pulled it back. _Better to wait until I can label them¸_ she reasoned, before moving further down the hallway.

Eventually she came across a shabby looking door that had the word _Utilities_ scratched into it. Figuring that held what she was looking for, she attempted to open it, but was frustrated to find that it would not budge. With her shoulder and Snowball helping, they managed to force the door open, causing her to tumble and land in a heap in the middle of a dark and dank room. Coughing up some dust, she managed to stand, looking around for a light switch.

From the light of the hallway she could see there was a naked bulb hanging from the ceiling, and a tiny string hanging down to turn it on. Cursing her height, she jumped a few times, finally managing to grasp it before pulling it down with a soft _click_. The light illuminated the room, casting a sickly yellow light on the piles of boxes and shelves of debris. It wasn’t exactly what she had been hoping for, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, given everything else she’d seen so far. Pushing up her sleeves, she dove right into the first box she found, sorting through and hoping she found what she came for.

An indeterminate amount of time later, Mei came out with her arms full of plain looking binders, managing to kick the door closed behind her. Biting her lip, she peered around the stack, realizing she might have taken a bit more than she could reasonably carry. "Be my eyes, Snowball," she pleaded, and the little bot chirped in response. She followed them as they floated high enough for her to see, leading her back the way they had come and into the main laboratory.

Just as she was about to cross the threshold, she walked into something solid, knocking her back and causing the binders to clatter to the ground. She rubbed at her nose where they had collided with the binders, wincing but not feeling any blood. Her eyes traveled up to see what she had met with such force, and she swallowed when they kept traveling up. Into the face of the creature.

She froze, not daring to move as it stared down at her, labored breathing echoing off the hallway behind. His large hands clenched into fists at his side, and she could have sworn he mumbled something unintelligible behind his mask. Suddenly one of his hands opened and slowly began reaching for her face, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from crying out.

" _Oi!_ Quit lying around, Snowflake!" the doctor cried, freezing the monster where he was. His hand retreated, and soon so did he, moving back to his desk. Mei managed to stand, and once her knees stopped quivering, picked up the old binders again and brought them over to Jamison. She was grateful for his outburst, even if it hadn’t been to save her, but the name thing was going to have to be addressed.

"I’m _Mei_ ," she reminded him. "My _companion_ is Snow _ball_. Not Snow _flake_." Glancing around, she found a mostly empty desk and dropped off the binders on the surface. Rifling through the drawers revealed a few different colors of markers and pens, and she nodded with satisfaction. The doctor had come up behind her, scratching his head and looking at her with confusion and distrust.

"Wot ye doin’ with those?" he asked, curiosity in his voice. She looked up at him over her glasses, then went back to setting up what she decided would be _her_ desk.

"Organizing," she said simply. "That _is_ what I was hired for, right?" Junkenstein made a grumbling noise, then nodded, so she continued. "I am going to organize your papers by project, then put them on the shelves over there," she pointed, "and then you will not have to waste so much time trying to find them." Junkenstein gnashed his teeth, golden eyes darting around as if he was trying to think of a way to get out of making conversation.

"Ng… _fine!"_ he barked, stomping back to the other table and gathering up a messy pile. Mei glanced down at his leg, wondering how it was holding up under his constant strain, before he turned back to her and dropped the pile unceremoniously on the ground. The papers fluttered down, and Mei scowled down at the mess.

"You could at _least_ put it on the table," she grumbled as he moved away, presumably to get more papers. Kneeling, she began sorting them into piles as best she could, though some of them were completely illegible. _Robot diagrams, potion recipes, vehicle parts…aha!_ She jumped up excitedly, calling out, "Professor, here!" Junkenstein whipped his head around, clunking his way back over to her quickly.

"I found the propulsion design you were looking for! Well, I think," she added, blushing a bit. She had gotten so excited that she hadn’t made sure before yelling across the lab. His eyebrows knit together, staring down at her, and his hand shot out to rip the paper from her grasp. Her stomach sank as she watched him examine the sheet, but then his lips broke open into a brilliant, mad smile.

" _Yes!_ This is them!" he cried, looking up at her from the paper and fixing her with a firey gaze. The girl’s heart stopped, then began beating quickly, but as soon as the moment had happened it was gone, and he was back across the other side of the room with the design and a bunch of scrap metal. Shaking her head clear of whatever had just happened, she began filing some of the papers into their properly labeled binders.

A few hours later, all the scraps she could find in the immediate area were nicely organized, and she carried them over to the bookshelves (in two trips this time). Patting off the dust from her hands, she glanced over at the doctor, who was still working at the same table he’d been at since she found the diagram. Mei walked over to him, making sure to hit tables with her heel as she went so he knew she was coming. Peering over his shoulder, she watched as he worked, eyes flicking between him and the machine.

His gaze was focused, more so than she had seen him before, and his goggles were placed on his head in favor of a strange pair of spectacles that had multiple lenses on one side. He chewed on his lip occasionally, and sometimes stuck out his tongue when he was trying to weld a few pieces together. Instead of flipping the machine, he would tilt his head to look under it, as if he was afraid to move the precious metal. After watching him work for a while, she tapped the metal desk to remind him she was here. He startled only slightly, before making a grunt of acknowledgement.

"Professor," she began, then paused, unsure which of her million questions she should be asking him first. He didn’t turn to look at her, continuing to work, and she watched the waning light filter in through the small windows and set his hair aflame. Not literally, like this morning, but it looked almost the same.

"We should probably go to the market before it gets dark," she finally said, turning her attention out the window. "I do not think it would be wise to travel too much into the night." Junkenstein snorted, drawing back her attention as he stood up and stretched, his back and something else making creaking noises.

"Nothin’ out there scary enough to mess with the likes o’ me," he said with a cocked grin, causing Mei to roll her eyes and turn around.

"I’ll get my bag and meet you upstairs then?" she asked, glancing back over her shoulder to see the doctor hadn’t moved. She slowed her steps, turning and tilting her head at him in confusion.

"Er, uh, yea, right," he said finally, turning away quickly and busying himself with the cold metal. Mei raised an eyebrow, but instead returned to her room and changed into something more travel ready. She packed her small satchel with some of the money she had brought from home, as well as a blank notebook and some jars in case it was a bring your own. Once she was finished, she let Snowball tuck itself into the hood of her jacket before going back out into the lab. Doctor Junkenstein was nowhere to be found, but Hog remained in the corner. She turned to go up the stairs, but could feel his eyes on her as she slipped out of sight.

Once upstairs, she wandered the rooms until she found the atrium again, where the big oak door was waiting for her to escape. She busied herself with glancing over the bookshelves that were there, covered in dust as they were. There were countless books of medical knowledge there, as well as invention and even a few botany books. She was just about to reach up and pull one out when she heard the telltale _clunk_ coming down the stairs of the main tower.

Junkenstein met her there, a dark satchel of his own around his torso, and his lab coat traded out for a simple brown trenchcoat. His weathered wooden leg still stuck out the bottom, but what really grabbed her attention was that he had removed his gloves. Instead of flesh and bone on his right hand, it was cold metal, but it moved as if it was the one he was born with. A thousand questions exploded into her head, but the doctor’s cold golden stare stopped them all in their tracks. He still wore his goggles on his head, and she wasn’t sure if that was a conscious choice or if he had just forgotten.

"C’mon," he muttered, pushing open the heavy door and leading them out into the woods. The door sunk closed behind them, and she found herself wondering when she began feeling more comfortable on the other side of them.

The weather was clear, and they walked in relative silence as they journeyed to Aldersbrunn. They didn’t speak, but there was a dull thud everytime the doctor’s peg leg connected with the weathered path. Clutching her bag closer to herself just because she wanted her hands busy, she finally managed to ask a question that had been bothering her.

"Professor," she began, hearing him respond noncommittally. "You have so many brilliant inventions down there, and I am sure that your hand is another one of them." His eyes flickered down to his hand, which was currently balled up in his pocket, but Mei pressed on. "I was just wondering why you haven’t made a replacement for your leg?" He stopped walking, and she had to stop herself as well, turning to him and wondering if she crossed some sort of invisible line.

"No," he responded flatly, which didn’t exactly answer her question. She was about to say as much when he continued, "Not again. I had one, before….well, y’know. Haven’t had time ta make a new one yet." She could sense there was more to the story, but he clammed up again, and they continued along their path much the way they had journeyed before. Snowball chirped quietly from her hood, and Mei silently agreed. _I need more information._

Before long they reached the gigantic gates of Aldersbrunn, worn and weathered from years of use, as well as many dents where it seemed something had been trying to break it in. Mei leaned forward to examine one, touching it gently, but a dissatisfied noise from the doctor had her straightening back up. Glancing up, she wondered just how they were supposed to get inside, when Jamison slammed on a button on the side of the wall.

A loud bell sang across the parapets, and after a few moments a small window opened up on the side. The person saw Mei first, and was about to greet her with a smile, when he noticed Doctor Junkenstein standing behind her. They made a soft peep of fear, then slammed the window shut. Mei was about to knock on the window again, because _what just happened?_ , but the large doors began to creak inward, and they were allowed inside.

The town was quaint and warm, everyone in the streets smiling and chatting like friends. Yet as soon as she and Jamison walked forward enough to be noticed, a hush fell over the crowd like a sudden snowfall. She stopped in her tracks, but Jamison was unperturbed, and continued forward, drawing the stares of the people as he went. When Mei moved to follow him, she began to hear the silence break with soft murmurs and whispered conversations.

"Professor-" she began, but Junkenstein shook his head sharply, and she closed her mouth again. They moved through the throngs of people until they reached the market, where a similar silence was awaiting them. _Word travels fast,_ she thought to herself, following the doctor as the path cleared in front of them. They reached a bread stall, and wordlessly the doctor handed over some money to the baker. They said nothing in response, turning their back on him and letting him take what he wanted.

Mei was sure if Junkenstein wanted, he could steal everything in this market without them saying a word against him. And yet they moved stall to stall, and he paid for everything he took. Whether there was someone to take the money was another story. They were currently at a dairy shop, and it was entirely unmanned as far as they could see.

"Professor," she started again. "Why are they so quiet?" He glanced at her briefly, then looked back down, packing the milk and cheese into a burlap sack. After a few more minutes, where Mei thought he wasn’t going to respond, he did.

"You know the phrase forgive an’ forget?" he asked, shouldering the sack and having them start to move through the emptying streets. She nodded, and he gave her a bitter smile.

"Well, some people don’t forgive. An’ they _never_ forget."

Passing a small book store, Junkenstein shifted around some stacks of books until he got to the invention ones. Mei was about to follow him when a small, ordinary paperback caught her eye. Picking it up, she brushed off the dust and saw a curling title in blue lettering: _Junkenstein’s Revenge._

Glancing up, she made sure the doctor was far enough away before opening the book gently, almost reverently. She began to read, making soft noises of awe and understanding as pieces began to fall into place...

_The lord of the castle called for heroes to come defend his castle from the nefarious Dr. Jamison Junkenstein and his Zomnic army, who had come to enact revenge on those who have wronged him. The heroes endure wave after wave of the onslaught, all while Junkenstein, his minions and his allies all came forth to take battle upon the heroes and attempt to destroy the gate that protected Adlersbrunn._

_The heroes all fight valiantly and with determination as The Reaper was the first to appear, teleporting in front of them all and laying fire upon them. Eventually, he is struck down by one of the heroes, and soon after, Junkenstein's Monster appears, rearing its own power to the fray. While it fought so heavily against the heroes, it too succumbed to the might of them. Not long afterwards, enraged and wanting personal revenge, Dr. Junkenstein comes out and fires upon the team of four with his launcher, and The Reaper has come back, to the heroes' dismay, for revenge himself. The two would be struck down together, all while The Witch makes her grand appearance._

_The Witch revives her fallen allies for one last battle, and the heroes, exhausted yet determined, kept on fighting until the very end, and before long, all of Junkenstein's creations, all of Junkenstein's allies and the doctor himself soon fall by the hands of the heroes. The heroes return to the castle, the lord praising them and giving them all a grand reward for their valiant efforts and defending Adlersbrunn._

_Now the defeated doctor resides far outside Aldersbrunn, and though the king has given his trust so freely, the rest of the town will not soon forget Junkenstein’s Revenge._

Mei swallowed, closing the book and putting it back in its nondescript spot on the shelf. _So much chaos_ ….she thought, glancing up to look at the doctor, who was still examining a book about thermodynamics. And despite what she had read, she could not believe that this was the same man. He clearly was attempting to make amends, purchasing food and only coming to town when absolutely necessary. He made no more zomnics, as far as she could see, and it was hard to believe someone who blew up oatmeal would be plotting a return.

The girl made a decision then, though whether she would regret that decision remained to be seen. The Junkenstein she knew was trying, and she was going to help him. She didn’t know just how yet, or what would need to be done, but she figured being there for him was a good place to start.

"Professor Jamison," she called softly, and he startled, staring at her in surprise and confusion. She wondered if she had been forgotten about yet again, but his brows furrowed.

"Wot did ye call me?" he asked, voice sounding hollow. Mei tilted her head, confused.

"Professor Jamison?" she asked, tapping her chin with one finger. "Why?" His mouth opened and shut again, and he put the book down on a pile, forgotten. His eyes traveled down, and his pegleg kicked at a stack of texts.

"’Aven’t ‘eard that name in…a long time," he said quietly, staring at a spot on the ground that she couldn’t see. "Least not from…" He shook his head, then, and swiftly left the store, leaving Mei to travel behind him.

Once outside, Mei glanced around and saw stalls beginning to close up as the sun began it’s descent across the horizon. Seeing a produce stand, she hopped in excitement and said, "Oh, lets go there! We need something fresh." Jamison’s eyes followed where she pointed, and he harrumphed and shook his head.

"Wot do we need veggies an’ fruits for?" he argued, hands in his pockets and posture slumped. "Doin’ just fine without ‘em." Mei put her hands on her hips and fixed him with an intense stare, and he blinked at her in surprise.

"We are getting fruits and vegetables because _I_ like them, and _I_ want to keep some part of a balanced diet!" And with that she grabbed his metal arm around the wrist, and literally _pulled_ him to the stall. The girl behind the produce stared at them in slack jaw surprise, and Mei gave her a pleasant smile.

"I’d like to buy some produce, please!" she asked, handing her some of her own money. The girl just nodded slowly, handing her back a bag and allowing Mei to fill it with whatever she wanted. The scientist hummed a little song as she went, ignoring the baffled stare of the doctor.

And since she ignored the baffled stare, she didn’t see the spark of interest that had alighted in his eyes, or the way he had to fight to keep a small grin off his face.

* * *

 They left the town then, the heavy door thudding closed behind them, and as they walked back Mei decided she had had enough of this silence. She began making small talk, about how excited she was about having some vegetables and maybe she could make a nice stew, because the weather was starting to get colder. How she really loved the cold, ever since she was a child, and it was part of the reason she became so involved in science. And as she went on and on as they grew closer to his tower, the bitter face of doctor Junkenstein warmed with a genuine smile.

They returned to the kitchen once they were back, and she began unpacking everything into cabinets and the refrigerator, which she had cleaned out earlier. Jamison stood in the corner, not offering to help but remaining out of the way as she organized. Once that was finished, she began making a small pot of stew for the two of them, lamenting the fact they hadn’t bought any meat.

Suddenly the door burst open much as it had that morning, and Hog slammed a large deer on the table. Blinking up at him, Mei gave a weak smile and began cleaning the deer, saving as much as she could in the fridge and dumping the stew into a bigger pot. The monster sat at the table until she was done, but as she was about to pour him a bowl, he got up and left. Mei watched after him, confused and a little hurt, but Jamison shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.

"Nah, he don’t eat much, don’t take it personally." With that he dove into his stew, making small noises of appreciation, and Mei wondered just how long it had been since he had a hot meal. But she turned her head back to the back of the monster, gears turning in her head.

_He brings meat, but doesn’t eat it?_ Shrugging, she sat across from the doctor and enjoyed her stew, continuing to make small talk despite the fact that Jamison never responded.

Once they were finished and the bowls clean, she yawned and stretched, catching the doctor’s attention. "Back to work?" she asked with a tired smile, and the doctor stared at her with a look that she couldn’t figure out.

"N-nah," he struggled to say, kicking his chair back under the table. "S’late enough. You did more than ye had to t’day, so just…get some rest, aight?" He clunked his way back to the hallway, and she followed him to the base of the tower. The stairs to the basement were just on the other side.

When they reached the stairs Jamison paused, and Mei turned to look at him, perplexed. He looked as if he had something to say, and his hand was twitching at his side as if it wanted to do something. Instead he just rubbed the back of his neck, glancing up the stairs.

"You…thanks," he said finally, clapping a hand on her shoulder before turning to hobble his way up the stairs. Mei’s face warmed and she smiled, calling up after him.

"Goodnight, Professor Jamison."

"…..G’night, Snowflake."

She heard his voice just barely echoing down the stairs after her, and she decided that maybe she didn’t dislike that name so much, after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Junkenstein's Revenge excerpt edited from the overwatch wiki page-
> 
> This is probably the longest chapter I've written to date, as normally I sit down and finish it in one sitting, but this time took 3. 
> 
> I'm really excited about the dynamic beginning to develop, and it's going to get very exciting soon! Sigh, I need more meihem in my life. 
> 
> Comments, questions, etc are super duper loved! More responses makes me want to update faster♥


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